Meet The B List For The All American Home Run Derby Contest

6) Carlos Delgado, 1B New York Mets (6-3/264 Pounds): Delgado should be considered an injury risk every year because he’s getting up there in age (37), but that shouldn’t scare you away from adding one of the most dependable Home Run threats in the game to you HR Derby team in 2009! Delgado went on a tear the second half of last season and hit 27 Home Runs in 84 games which allowed him to finish with 38 Home Runs in ‘08. Delgado is one of the all time best Home Run hitters that ever played the game & should have no problem hitting anywhere from 30 to 35 Home Runs if he can stay healthy all year long.

2009 Home Run Projection: 30 Home Runs

7) Ryan Braun, LF Milwaukee Brewers (6-1/210 Pounds): Braun is one of the games youngest and brightest stars! Braun is a natural born killer that has averaged 35.5 Home Runs in his first two years in the big leagues! The 2007 NL Rookie of the year is one of the top power threats in baseball and continues to evolve into a serious major league talent every year he takes the field! Braun is always going to his 35 + Home Runs because he plays in Miller Park and is well protected in a lineup that causes him to see a lot of pitches!

2009 Home Run Projection: 40 Home Runs

8) Miguel Cabrera, 1B Detroit Tigers (6-4/240 Pounds): Miggy’s 37 Home Runs, .567 slugging percentage & .292 batting average puts him in an elite class of major league talent. Cabrera’s Home Run totals continue to escalate every season and he’s considered one of the most premiere right hand hitters in the game today! He was the 2008 AL Home Run Derby champion and should have no problem defending his title if he continues to average over 157 games played like he did in his last 5 seasons!

2009 Home Run Projection: 40 Home Runs

9) Ryan Ludwick, RF St. Louis Cardinals (6-3/218 Pounds): “Lud” just obliterated good ‘Ol Mr. Rawlings last season by putting out 37 of them in 2008! Ludwick came out of nowhere during his ’08 tour with the Cards and should have no problem testing the 40 Home Run milestone in 2009! You can argue that he’s a risk because he strikes out a lot and lot & usually carries a low average, but I think Ryan should continue to flourish in a Cardinals lineup that protects him very well!

2009 Home Run Projection: 40 Home Runs

10) Manny Ramirez, RF Los Angeles Dodgers (6-1, 220 Pounds): Love him or hate him you can’t deny his brilliance with the baseball bat! The 37 year old 12 time all star displayed why he’s the greatest right handed hitter to ever play the game last season by batting a whopping .396 batting average & 17 Home Runs in 53 regular season games with the Dodgers last season! What’s even more impressive is that Manny had a sick .520 batting average with 4 homers in 8 playoff games during the 2008 playoffs. Manny’s bat has shown no signs of slowing down and should have no problem poking out 30 + Home Runs in 2009! Will age be an issue this season? Will his narcissistic view of himself prove to be a nuisance in the Dodgers club house? Will Manny’s recent $45 million deal make him lazy or hungrier in 2009? Only Manny knows the answers to these questions and he’ll never show you his cards, so you’ll just have to wait and see how he performs ’09 because that’s just “Manny Being Manny!”

2009 Home Run Projection: 33 Home Runs

11) Adrian Gonzalez, 1B San Diego Padres (6-2/220 Pounds): Any guy who can consistently destroy 35 baseballs a year in Pet Co park deserves to be looked at as one of the most dominating power hitters in the game today! A. Gonz has out of this world power, plays every day & his three year slugging percentage of .500 + are credentials that puts him amongst an elite class of MLB sluggers! He’s only 27 years old and continues to show why he’s the second best first baseman in baseball next to Albert Pujols!

2009 Home Run Projection: 38 Home Runs

12) Carlos Quentin, LF Chicago White Sox (6-1/230 Pounds): Do you think the D-Backs are kicking themselves in the butt for letting this “Beast” get away? Carlos Quentin had his coming out party in 2008 with his new team on the south side by hammering 36 Home Runs and finishing 4^th in the league with a .394 on base percentage! Quentin is protected by murderer’s row in Chicago and plays in a stadium that’s porches rival most high school ball parks! Quentin is only going to get better & I’m betting that he’s crowned the AL’s Home Run King in 2009!

2009 Home Run Projection: 43 Home Runs

13) Jermaine Dye, RF Chicago White Sox (6-5/245 Pounds): Dye is MLB’s version of Rodney Dangerfield because he continues to get no respect. Dye was a victim of trade rumors this whole off season and should be on a mission to prove his worth to both the White Sox organization and other teams in the league this season! Dye has excellent vision and balance at the plate and his 35.2 3 year Home Run average validates that! Oh, did I mention that he takes his cuts 81 games a year in a child’s sand box?

2009 Home Run Projection: 34 Home Runs

14) Jim Thome, DH Chicago White Sox (6-3/250 Pounds): “Thome The Barbarian” is a guaranteed 1^st ballot hall of famer and continues to showcase immortal power numbers every year he takes the field. Thome hit 34 Home Runs last season, but his batting average continues to drop faster than the Dow Jones as he continues to get older. At age 39, Thome continues to show brute strength and should have no problems eclipsing 30 Home Runs in 2009 if he stays healthy!

2009 Home Run Projection: 32 Home Runs

15) Pat Burrell, LF/DH Tampa Bay Rays (6-4/235 Pounds): Burrell will be in for a role change with his new team, but that should improve his hitting numbers across the board. Burrell has all the skills and talents to hit continue to hit 30 + Home Runs in 2009! He’ll be well protected in a lineup that includes superstar Evan Longoria and Baseball Mauler Carlos Pena!

2009 Home Run Projection: 32 Home Runs

16) Jack Cust, LF Oakland Athletics (6-1/240 Pounds): Cust had his breakout season at the late with the A’s in 2007 when he hit 26 Home Runs. Last season he surpassed that number by hitting 33 Home Runs to put him amongst the games best power hitters. Cust is a safe bet to his 30 + Home Runs this season with the addition of new teammate Jason Giambi, but always at risk of under achieving due to his high strike out ratio & low batting average that he backpacks ever year!

2009 Home Run Projection: 30 Home Runs

17) Hanley Ramirez, SS Florida Marlins (6-3/200 Pounds): H. Ram is the new proto type for short stops in Major League Baseball these days! He’s big, strong, fast & durable! H. Ram added 25 pounds of muscle in the off season and that kind of bulk should bolster his power numbers in ‘09! Hanley will not be batting lead off this year and will join the ranks of the leagues most feared hitters by batting third this season! Ramirez has averaged 30 Home Runs over his past two years in the league and has all the tools to place an MVP trophy right next to his Rookie Of The Year Trophy he earned in ’09!

2009 Home Run Projection: 35 Home Runs

18) Grady Sizemore, CF Cleveland Indians (6-2/200 Pounds): Sizemore last year put together an impressive 2008 campaign by joining the 30/30 club. Sizemore has the ability to join a very selective fraternity known as the 40/40 club in 2009 with his rare power & speed combination that he possesses. Sizemore has averaged more than 158 games played over the past 4 years and has evolved into one of the leagues fastest rising young stars!

2009 Home Run Projection: 36 Home Runs

19) Chase Utley, 2B Philadelphia Phillies (6-1/200 Pounds): Utley is the biggest stud power hitting second baseman since Ryne Sandburg! His plate precision is rivaled only by some in the league and his bat speed is off the charts! Throw in that he’s protected by one of the league’s most feared power hitters (Ryan Howard) in the game & that he plays in a ballpark that yielded 2.33 Home Runs per game in 2009; You have a man that’s capable of clearing the fences 40 + times a year! The only down side to Utley is that he’s coming off hip surgery this off season & will constantly be at risk of re-aggravating that injury this season!

2009 Home Run Projection: 38 Home Runs

20) David Wright, 3B New York Mets (6-0/220 Pounds): Ladies & Gentleman…meet the Best 3^rd baseman in baseball! David Wright is not only a lady killer, but he also has built a strong reputation for killing the baseball too. Wright’s Home Run totals have steadily improved over the past three years and you can bank on it that D. Wright will do that again when this season is complete! Wright is one of the most powerful & consistent hitters in MLB and is in line to add an MVP trophy beside his two Gold Gloves that he won in 2007 & 2008! Expect BIG things from David Wright in 2009!

2009 Home Run Projection: 40 Home Runs

21) Mark Teixeira, 1B New York Yankees (6-3/220 Pounds): Most people thought Big Tex’s power numbers would take a major hit when he was traded to Atlanta midway through the 2008 season, but he proved to all of us that he could hit the big fly in any stadium by pounding out 33 home runs last season. The Yankees porches in both corners of their new stadium are shorter than most high school ballparks (318 In Left Field & 314 In Right Field) and that type of distance will make it much easier for Big Tex to clear the fences in '09. Expect Teixeira to hit anywhere from 35 to 40 home runs in his first season with the Yankees!

2009 Home Run Projection: 41 Home Runs

22) Jason Giambi, 1B/DH Oakland Athletics (6-3/240 Pounds): Giambi has finally made his way back home to where he started his career. Giambi has never made it a secret that he’s a west coast guy & should fit it very nicely with a rebuilt athletics team. Giambi hit 32 Home Runs with the bombers last season and his migration to warmer weather and being surrounded by a strong supporting cast (Jack Cust & Matt Holliday) may lead to him joining the 30 Home Run Club once again. Giambi is getting up there in age, but he’s still always a threat to take a pitch deep every with his patented upper cut every time he swings the bat!

2009 Home Run Projection: 30 Home Runs

23) Josh Hamilton, CF Texas Rangers (6-4/235 Pounds): There’s a reason why people around the league call Josh Hamilton “The Natural!” Last year’s feel good story almost assured himself that a Hollywood script will be written about his life story when his career is over. Not only did he put on one of the most memorable displays of power in last season’s Home Run Derby contest, but he ended the 2008 season with some monster numbers across the board. Hamilton is responsible for launching 32 Home Runs into orbit last season with a .304 batting average & 130 RBI’s! Hamilton has joined the ranks of the league’s greatest power hitters and will show us this season that the best come to those who wait!

2009 Home Run Projection: 48 Home Runs

24) Aubrey Huff, 1B Baltimore Orioles (6-4/235 Pounds): For years Major League Baseball coaches & execs have been waiting for lightning to strike this bottle. Huff has been in the league for over 8 years now and it’s taken him a long time to produce Home Run totals like he did back in 2003 when he hit 34 dingers. Huff hit 32 Home Runs in 2008 and is a professional hitter when he’s on his game! You never know what kind of production you’re going to get out of Mr. Huff, but that shouldn’t stop you from adding a guy to your Home Run Derby team that’s very capable of hitting 30 Home Runs a year!

2009 Home Run Projection: 28 Home Runs

25) Mike Jacobs, 1B Kansas City Royals (6-3/215 Pounds): Jacobs had a career year with the Fish last season by crushing 32 Home Runs. Jacobs has solid power, but his career .262 batting average is a bit of a concern & he’s now playing in a park that likes to keep the long ball from clearing it’s fences! Still Jacob has enough power to hit 25 to 30 Home Runs and I’m expecting he’ll do just that with his new ball club this season!

2009 Home Run Projection: 27 Home Runs

26) Dan Uggla, 2B Florida Marlins (5-11/200 Pounds): Here’s a player that’s flown underneath the radar as far as power numbers go. Uggla may be small in stature, but his bat has packed a serious punch over his past three years in the league. Uggla’s 30 Home Runs a year average not only puts him amongst the elite power hitting 2^nd baseman in baseball, but will make you sleep well at night adding if you decide to add him to your Home Run Derby team. Scouts call him a free swinger & he looked awful the second half of the 2008 season, but I’ll take a guy on my Home Run Derby team any day of the week that has the ability to smash 30 to 35 Home Runs a year! Imagine what his numbers will be if he can improve his batting average?

2009 Home Run Projection: 33 Home Runs

27) Carlos Pena, 1B Tampa Bay Rays (6-2/225 Pounds): Carlos Pena made his mark on the league in 2007 when he pounded out 46 Home Runs. Pena’s power numbers took a .180 degree spin on him in 2008 when he ended the season with only 31 dongs. Critics will say that his 2007 season was a fluke and that his shaky batting average will be his Achilles heel throughout his career, but I believe that Pena has enough raw power to consistently hit 30 to 40 Home Runs every year! Pena’s been in the league 8 years now and that type of experience will eventually guide him to stronger numbers across the board.

2009 Home Run Projection: 37 Home Runs

28) Lance Berkman, 1B Houston Astros (6-1/220 Pounds): The “Big Puma” has been the driving force behind Houston’s offense and the Astros will only go as far as Berkman takes them! Berkman jumped out of the gates faster than Usain Bolt last season, but his power numbers rapidly tapered off as the season progressed! Still, Berkman ended his 2008 season with 29 Home Runs and a .312 batting average. Berkman has great bat speed and knows how to make pitchers pay from throwing meat at him. Expect his usual 30 Home Runs and maybe more if he sees a little more meat this year!

2009 Home Run Projection: 33 Home Runs

29) Jorge Cantu, 3B/1B Florida Marlins (6-3/200 Pounds): Cantu busted out on the MLB scene in 2005 when he hit 28 Home Runs with the Rays. Following that season Cantu looked like a sure one hit wonder until he got back on track in 2008 by hitting 29 yard bombs! Cantu has the ability to hit 30 Home Runs, but I’m going to temper my expectations this season because he’s got a young stud named Dallas McPherson that can take his job anytime.

2009 Home Run Projection: 22 Home Runs

30) Alfonso Soriano, LF Chicago Cubs (6-1/180 Pounds Soaking Wet): Hey…Two Thumbs up for “The Fons” for hitting 29 Home Runs in 109 games last season! Hey…Two Thumbs down for “The Fons” because his age and his ability to stay healthy crucifies his power numbers every year! We all know that Soriano has enough pop in his bat to bash 40 Home Runs a year, but it’s tough to take a chance on a guy that hasn’t played more than 150 games since the 2006 season! Soriano is the epitome of a high risk/high reward player, so you’re going to have to have a little gambler in you to take a chance on him in this year’s All American Home run Derby contest!

2009 Home Run Projection: 35 Home Runs

31) Kevin Youkilis, 1B Boston Red Sox (6-1/220 Pounds): “Youkon” is one of the smartest baseball players in the game today and is a throwback to the old school type of player that cares more about winning than his stats. Youkilis had a breakout season for the Bo Sox last year by hitting .312 with 29 Home Runs. Youkilis has only been in the big leagues for 5 years now and it looks like he’s ready to join the elite class at his position in the game.

2009 Home Run Projection: 30 Home Runs

32) Carlos Lee, LF Houston Astros (6-2/245 Pounds): El Caballo (The Horse) is one of the league’s mot powerful & reliable Home Run hitters the game has seen over the last 10 years. Lee sat out the last two months of last season, but not before he pounded out 28 Home Runs, a .314 batting average and 100 RBI’s. If Lee would have played the whole season, he would have easily hit 40 Home Runs in 2008. At 32 years old, Lee is still a Stallion at the plate and is always a safe bet to hit a minimum of 30 Home Runs every year he puts on the uniform.

2009 Home Run Projection: 37 Home Runs

33) Mark Reynolds, 3B Arizona Cardinals (6-2/220 Pounds): There’s no doubt that Reynolds possesses some major power and the 28 Home Runs he hit with the D-Backs last season proves that! The problem is with Reynolds is that he strikes out at the plate more than a band nerd does with high school cheerleaders. Reynolds whiffed 204 times at the plate last season and that has to be a huge concern for Home Run Derby owners that are considering adding him to their team. Reynolds needs to improve his plate discipline or he’s going to be at risk losing AB’s to Chad Tracy in 2009!

2009 Home Run Projection: 25 Home Runs

34) Carlos Beltran, CF New York Mets (6-1/220 Pounds): What happened to Carlos Beltran? He went from hitting 41 Home Runs in 2006 to 33 in ’07 to 27 in 2008. Beltran steady power outage over the past three years, no longer puts him amongst the games elite Home Runs hitters. He’s still one of the best players in the game, but he’s become a player that is always going to be at the top of every batting statistical category in the game, except Home Runs.

2009 Home Run Projection: 29 Home Runs

35) Troy Glaus, 3B St. Louis Cardinals (6-5/245 Pounds): Glaus made the decision to have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder this off season to clean it out and repair a slight muscle tear. Glaus’s body is starting to break down and is always at risk of joining the DL for a certain period of time during the season. Still with that in mind, this veteran slugger clobbered 27 Home Runs last season in 151 games. Glaus is a streaky player that can hit Home Runs in bunches, but his Home Run stroke has been known to pull a David Blaine & vanish for long stretches too.

2009 Home Run Projection: 25 Home Runs

36) Vladimir Guerrero, RF Los Angeles Angels (6-3/245 Pounds): Guerrero received the nickname “Vlad The Impaler” because he punishes the baseball like the former ruthless prince of Wallachia’s (Romania) treated his enemies back in 1447. Vlad will be better protected at the plate this year with Abreu & Torii Hunter batting on both sides of him in 2009. His home run totals have steadily declined over the past 5 years, but you can count on him to hit 30+ dingers in 2009 if he manages to avoid taking a vacation on the DL at some point in the season.

2009 Home Run Projection: 30 Home Runs

37) Evan Longoria, 3B Tampa Bay Rays (6-2/210 Pounds): This guy left the Mysteria Lane of the minors last season & came up to the big leagues to capture the Al Rookie Of the Year in 2008. Longoria’s rookie campaign proved that he’s a killer at the plate and now belongs in discussions about being one of the top three 3^rd baseman’s in baseball with David Wright & Alex Rodriguez. Longoria hit 27 Home Runs in only 122 games with the Rays last season & I’m expecting him to flirt with 40+ Home Runs if he plays 155+ games in’09. He’s heavily protected by rising star B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena & the new addition of Pat Burrell will force pitchers to pitch to Longoria more this season.

2009 Home Run Projection: 38 Home Runs

38) Aramis Ramirez, 3B Chicago Cubs (6-1/215 Pounds): When you get past David Wright, Alex Rodriguez & Evan Longoria, Aramis Ramirez deserves strong consideration for being the 4^th best 3B in baseball. A. Ram has averaged 30 Homes Runs over hi past 3 seasons & will be better protected this year with newly acquired Milton Bradley batting in front of him. The only knock on Ramirez is that he visits the DL at least once a year & that limits his plate appearances every season.

2009 Home Run Projection: 32 Home Runs

39) Matt Holiday, LF Oakland A’s (6-4/225 Pounds): Matt was definitely on Holiday last season & couldn’t seem to get the same stroke going that he had with the Rockies in 2006 thru 2008. Holiday only hit 25 Home Runs in one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in baseball last season and was shipped to Oakland this year, so the Rockies could get rid Holiday’s huge contract. Holiday is now playing away from Coors field, so expect the 2007 Batting Champion’s numbers to stay consistent with what he did for the Rockies in 2008. He is protected well in a lineup that includes Eric Chavez, Jack Cust & Jason Giambi, so I’m anticipating that Holiday will hit a minimum of 30 Home Runs in 2009 with these Ogres protecting him.

2009 Home Run Projection: 31 Home Runs

40) David Ortiz, DH Boston Red Sox (6-4/235 Pounds): I don’t care what any so-called fantasy baseball expert says…I’m telling you right now that the pop will be back in Big Papi’s bat in 2009. The 37 year old aging slugger only hit 23 home runs last season, but that was largely due to Ortiz’s inability to avoid the injury bug in 2008. Papi looks like he’s back in shape and has been tearing the cover off the ball during spring training thus far. He’s protected by last year’s MVP (Dustin Pedroia), Kevin Youkilis & Jason Bay this year. Papi is now considered an injury risk because of his age, but he should have no problem pounding out 30 + chartered flights in 2009 if he can stay healthy!

2009 Home Run Projection (My Bounce Back Bomber Of The Year): 39 Home Runs

41) Jason Bay, LF Boston Red Sox (6-2/210 Pounds): Jay Bay is in a contract year, so look out for some big time numbers from one of the best outfielders in baseball. Bay had a horrible 2007 campaign power numbers wise by only hitting 21 Home Runs. He managed to hit 22 Home Runs with the Pirates before he was shipped off to Boston where he hit 9 more with the Bo Sox to close out his 2008 season with 31 jacks! Getting traded to Boston was the best thing that could have happened to Jay Bay because he’ll have better players surrounding him in the middle of the lineup and he’ll always be in contention for a World Series ring with this team!

2009 Home Run Projection: 36 Home Runs

42) Paul Konerko, 1B Chicago White Sox (6-2/215 Pounds): Pauly had an atrocious first half of the year in 2008 before bouncing back the second half of the season with 13 Home Runs & a .909 OPS. Konerko has been pounding the ball all over the place in spring training and should have no problem going back to hitting 30 + Home Runs in 2009 if he can stay on the field the whole season. One thing to consider before taking Konerko is that he’ll most likely get moved to a playoff contender before the trade deadline and a new change of address could hurt his Home Run totals because he won’t be playing at the Cell any longer.

2009 Home Run Projection: 33 Home Runs

Was The A. Rod Steroid Monster Created By Major League Baseball?

Written by Consigliere Of www.letsgodeep.com

Has the media ever heard the saying "In order to move forward, you have to put the past behind you?" Every time I turn on the radio it's a new talk show personality, baseball expert or one of Alex Rodriguez's past teammates chiming in on A Rod's recent confession of using steroids. In case you've been living on an island or lost your ability to read or listen over the past week. Sports Illustrated broke the story over the weekend & reported that Alex Rodriguez was part of the "Anonymous 104 " that tested positive for steroid abuse while playing for the Rangers from 2001 thru 2003. Alex justified using the banned growth hormone by saying "Back then was a different era" & went on to say that "It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive, and I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth, you know -- and being one of the greatest players of all time." I have to admit, I agree with Alex's statements to a degree, but also believe he's putting way too much blame on himself because he was part of a generation that was created by everyone involved with Major League Baseball at the time! Rodriguez was just a victim of Major League Baseball's all out efforts to resurrect a game that was slowly fading away & in serious jeopardy of becoming "America's Pastime"! Front office executives, team owners, coach's, farm hands and scouts are really the ones to blame because they all turned a blind eye to what was going on in MLB club houses for over a decade! Major League Baseball is responsible for creating the "Steroid Era Monsters" & used them as their pawns to resurrect a game from the dark abyss it was rapidly sinking in. They saw that players were getting stronger, bigger, faster and moodier, but never stepped in because this new breed of MLB product that was taking over stadiums across the country were doing some very special things that most fans never seen before! George Foster was the last guy to hit 50+ (52 to be exact) home runs in over 12 years until 1990 came around when Big Cecil Fielder pounded out 51 while playing for the Detroit Tigers. I found that hitting 50 Home Runs was almost impossible and only came around as frequent as Haley’s Comet before the mid 90’s. It wasn’t till 1995 when Albert Belle hit 50 home runs for the Tribe that chartered flights of Rawling baseball's started leaving the ballpark at a staggering rate of 2.5 + times per game compared to 1.5 times before the steroid era begun in the mid 90’s! If that wasn't a red flag that something was up, I don't know what would have been! 40 Home Runs seemed so passé and 50 was the new number that made baseball’s new breed of bombers seem almost immortal. Big Mac won the Home Run Title in 1996 for hitting 52 Home Runs when he was with Oakland & a man that we’ve all come to know as Jr. cleared the fences 56 times in 1997 with the Mariners. Then the "Summer of Long Balls" came when Sammy & "Big Mac" electrified crowds with their frequency of colossal tape measure shots that sparked a Beatles like atmosphere at every ballpark they played in & launched the infamous saying "Chicks Dig The Long Ball". Anyone who was fortunate enough to watch what both these players accomplished during the ‘98 baseball season will never forget how special it was to witness. Big Mac was setting new distance records everyday and Sammy’s home run hop became mocked by every little leaguer & weekend softball warrior around the country. Big Mac ended up hitting 70 Home Runs that summer and Sammy Sosa came in close second by hitting 66. After the "Summer Of Long Balls" was over in 1998 & interest in the game was rejuvenitated thanks to Slam'n Sammy & Mark McGwire's record setting year; Selig & crew all had to look at one another & used Carol Anne's famous Quote from Poltergeist…"We're Baaaaack!" An addict is someone who is addicted to an activity, habit or substance. There three two addicts created after that summer. Players found they had to get bigger, faster & stronger in order to gain an edge vs. their opponents. MLB’s front office found a super product that was going to save their game and they would do everything necessary to protect it’s origin at all costs & fans were hooked on the long ball pill and came to expect a myriad of home runs every time they went to the ball park or turned on ESPN to see who went yard that day. Home Run statistics ballooned overnight and players that normally hit 15 to 20 home runs annually were hitting 30 to 40 home runs. Players that were hitting 20 to 30 home runs a year were all of a sudden putting the ball in orbit 40 to 50 + times in a season. You heard rumors that the ball was wound tighter to make it fly out of the park like a golf ball, that Barry Bonds new bat made from rock maple wood was making the ball go farther anything else on the market & players were corking their bats to make their bats more solid (Sammy Sosa confirmed that rumor). Then you heard rumors that these statistics were skewed because of players using performance enhancing drugs. You could see a difference product on the field starting in the mid 90’s all the way to 2005. Players of all shapes, sizes & positions were all becoming Jose Canseco Clones. Hitters were gaining bulk to improve their power and bat speed. Pitchers started using human growth enhancements to help their bodies heal quicker, strengthen their arms and make their fast ball even nastier. Barry Bonds 73 Home Runs in 2001 didn’t receive half the praise or media attention as Big Mac’s did in the summer of ’98 because everyone knew by that time it was all because of the special sauce he was injecting into his body to reach this once cherished milestone. Prior to December 16th, 2007 there were little answers or confirmations as to why these power statistics became so inflated. It wasn’t until that very day when The Mitchell Report, the result of George Mitchell's investigation into performance enhancing drug use by major league players, was made public. The usual suspects like Barry Bonds, Ken Caminiti, Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmero, David Justice, Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Garry Sheffield, Barry Bonds and Matt Williams were all linked to the initial probe. The laundry list of names on the Mitchell report is too long to mention, but the conjecture that day was that steroid in major league baseball became a widespread pandemic that everyone was hooked on. There’s no way that it could have gone unnoticed for that long & Major League Baseball’s don’t ask & don’t tell policy to the topic is the main reason why it reached the levels that it did. I’m reluctant to castrate A.Rod like everyone else has in recent weeks (actually his entire career) because he was just a product of his own environment. He simply took advantage of a substance that was readily made available to him & did what was necessary to appease both himself and his fans at the time. Widespread cheating has been synonymous with sports since its inception and it will continue to go on as long as chemists can cook up a product that will go undetected. It’s up to Major League Baseball & the players union to put in place a full proof testing apparatus that will prevent such widespread abuse from ever happening again. If they don't, players will always be tempted to take advantage of HGH substances that will provide them that edge vs. their peers. Wouldn’t you? www.letsgodeep.com | www.marchdeep.com | www.passitdeep.com | www.funtasyfootball.com

Bargain Baseball Players For The 2009 MLB Season!

Andy LaRoche – 3B Pirates – LaRoche was highly touted in the Dodgers systems for years. However, each time it seemed as though he was on the verge of a break through with the big club, he hits some sort of snag. Right before the trade deadline last year, LaRoche was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in part of a three team deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Red Sox. In doing, so he joined his brother Adam in Pittsburgh. Going into this season the Pirates have stated that Andy will be given every opportunity to hold down 3B. If that is the case, LaRoche could be a nice sleeper because he has shown the talent in the minors. So he’s certainly worth gamble in later rounds as an additional CI. At the very least, he’ll offer you some nice depth with some high upside.

Jensen Lewis – RP Indians – This is probably more directed to Kerry Wood owners than anyone else, but I think Lewis is someone to consider if you’re taking Wood. Granted Wood had a very good year as a closer for the Cubs last year, and was relatively healthy all year. However, we all know his history and injury could come at any time. So grabbing Lewis late if you’re in a deep league and need a pitcher who will put up solid stats in middle relief, and possibly have a chance to close at some point, Lewis is a nice option. While in the closer role last year he did solid job, converting 13-of-13 save chances with a 2.91 ERA and 22/6 K/BB ratio in 21 2/3 innings.

Dallas McPherson – 3B Marlins - McPherson was another highly touted prospect coming up, and was originally drafted by the Angels in 2001. He shot up the ranks to be one of their top prospects, however never really put everything all together for various reason. After the 2007 season he was let go by the Angels and then signed a deal with the Marlins. He had a monster year in playing for the the Marlins Triple-A team in which he batted .275 with 42 home runs and 98 RBI. Normally a season like that would mean a call up and shot with the big club.

Unfortunately, he was blocked by the surprising play of Jorge Cantu. However, this year the Marlin’s traded Mike Jacobs to the Royals opening up a spot at 1B. So McPherson will get a shot at either taking over 1B, or they could move Cantu there and have McPherson play his natural position. Moving Cantiu to 1B would be the best move defensively for the Marlins. So it could certainly happen. McPherson is a nice sleeper for NL only and deep mixed leagues.

J.R. Towles – C Astros – There was a lot of hype surrounding Towles heading into last season. Both Geovany Soto and Towles were the hot names at the catcher position. Soto had an excellent year, while Towles struggled mightily. Since he was not producing much at all, the Astros sent Towels back down to the minors on June 5^th. He was recalled twice during the year and both times failed to impress. Even so, I’m not going to give up on Towles that easily.

In 2007 he hit .287 with 11 HRs and 62 RBIs in 100 games over three different levels of the minors. So the talent is definitely there. His scouting reports all indicate that he’s an excellent athlete and he has above average speed for a catcher as well. So it just might be that he was a little overwhelmed with all the pressure going into last year. Most people have completely disregarding Towles though. If he breaks out he’ll be a nice sleeper and a very weak position.

Jorge De La Rosa – SP Rockies – It’s always tough recommending a pitcher from Colorado, however, De La Rosa has some upside that could make him a nice pick this year in the later rounds. Maybe even your last selection. After being traded to the Rockies from the Royals in April, De La Rosa posted a 10-8 record with a 4.92 era. On the surface that’s not all that impressive, but he did have 128 K’s in 130 innings which is always a plus. He also was a much more effective pitcher after the All Star Break by going 7-3 with a 3.08 era. So if he can build on his second half double digit wins and a good amount of Ks should follow.

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Funtasy Football's Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 15 In The NFL

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QB

Stud – Drew Brees

Brees hits the road to take on the Chicago Bears this week and that’s a good thing. The Bears defense has only allowed more than 66 yards to one RB at home this year so the Saints will have to throw. To make the matchup even more enticing, Brees averages over 43 passing attempts per road game.

Sleeper – Jay Cutler

The Carolina running game is hot and the Denver rush defense is brutal. That means that the Broncos will get behind and lean on Cutler to throw 40 times to bring them back. The Panthers allowed 315 yards and 2 TD to Jeff Garcia last week.

Snoozer – Joe Flacco

The rookie may very well see his 8 game touchdown streak snapped this week. Flacco threw for just 192 yards and 1 touchdown in his first meeting with Pittsburgh.
WR

Stud – Greg Jennings

Jennings heads to Florida this week to take on the Jaguars, who will be missing Rashean Mathis. When Green Bay spreads 5 WR out, Jacksonville simply doesn’t have anyone that can matchup with Jennings.

Sleeper – Devin Hester

Hester has gradually gotten more involved in the passing game. He’s hauled in 8 rec. for 147 yards and a TD in the last 2 games. The Saints also give up the 2nd most fantasy points to WR.

Snoozer – Calvin Johnson

Duante Culpepper is unlikely to play this week, so Johnson will either have to rely on Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton or even Drew Henson. Stay far, far away.
RB

Stud – DeAngelo Williams

Williams has 727 yards and 11 touchdowns over his last 6 games and he’s firmly taken a hold on the #1 spot in the backfield. Carolina has the 6th most rushing attempts in the NFL and will try to establish the run early and often just like they did against the Bucs.

Sleeper – Clinton Portis

After successfully tabbing Portis as a snoozer last week, I’ll move him up one spot. He’s only rushed for more than 68 yards once in the past 5 games, but that should change this week. He was very critical of his coach and questioned how he’s being used, so I expect Jim Zorn to give Clinton the ball and make him back up his talk.

Snoozer – Joseph Addai

Despite the great matchup, this game has snoozer written all over it for Addai. He’ll likely start and get his touches, but when the game gets out of hand, (and it will) the Colts will probably rest him and let Rhodes take over.
K

Stud – Adam Vinatieri

The Colts head to Ford Field this week and you know that they will put points on the board. The only risk here is that they are all XP.

Sleeper – Kris Brown

Brown and the Texans face off against Tennessee this week. Schaub has the Texans offense clicking, but the Titans have a way of making teams bog down…hopefully in field goal range.

Snoozer – Josh Brown

Brown gets a good matchup as the Seahawks face the Rams, but he’s battling a groin injury and could be limited when it comes to long field goals.

Studs, Sleepers, Snoozers For Week 14 In The NFL

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Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 14 In The NFL

December 5th, 2008

by admin

QB

Stud – Kurt Warner

Warner had his 300-yard game streak snapped last week, but now he has the pleasure of facing the St. Louis Rams. Expect Warner to start a new streak in a game that has blowout written all over it.

Sleeper – Matt Ryan

Ryan has become very consistent in the latter portion of his rookie campaign and this week he can be counted on for a very solid outing. The Falcons take on the Saints and their beat up secondary.

Snoozer – Philip Rivers

Rivers is coming off of a down week and things will only get worse when the Chargers take on the Raiders. Over the last 4 games, the Raiders have allowed an average of 153 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks.
WR

Stud – Anquan Boldin

Boldin is a great play this week for the same reasons as Warner. He had a sub par outing last week and will be happy to make up for it at the expense of the Rams.

Sleeper – Eddie Royal

Royal has been hit or miss this year, but Cutler has been hot and the Chiefs are coming to town. In the first meeting with KC, Royal had 9 rec. for 104 yards.

Snoozer – Terrell Owens

Owens has had back-to-back big games, but now the Cowboys face the stingy Steelers defense. Pittsburgh has only allowed one receiver to top 80 yards in the last 7 games.
RB

Stud – Adrian Peterson

League’s leading rusher vs. League’s worst run defense

Sleeper – Kevin Smith

Smith faces a tough defense, but they could be without their 2 starting defensive tackles. Smith also averaged over 12 yards per carry when the Lions visited the Metrodome earlier this season.

Snoozer – Clinton Portis

Portis had 21+ carries in each of his first 8 games, but the injuries have caught up to him and he’s had 15 or less carries in 3 of the last 4. The Ravens also boast the league’s 3rd ranked run defense and yield just 78 ypg.
K

Stud – Matt Bryant

Bryant came through again last week with 3 field goals and 2 XP. He’s about as consistent as you can hope for and the Bucs offense gets him in range.

Sleeper – Neil Rackers

Rackers hasn’t been able to live up to expectations after a monster year in 2005, but in the 2 weeks before the Eagles game he made 7 of 8 attempts. This week he’ll face the Rams, so he’ll have plenty of chances to score.

Snoozer – Nick Folk

Folk and the ‘Boys take on a tough Steelers defense this week. Folk will also have to worry about wind and poor field conditions.

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Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 13 In The NFL

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QB
Stud – Peyton Manning
Manning makes a return trip to the stud spot with a very enticing matchup vs. Cleveland this week. The Browns best defense will be ball control and that’s something that their offense isn’t very good at, so look for the Colts to do plenty of damage.
Sleeper – Brett Favre
Favre has been playing fairly well as of late, but he could really break out this week. Denver has been suspect on defense for the majority of the year and the Jets passing game is really starting to open up with the emergence of Dustin Keller.
Snoozer – Daunte Culpepper
The Culpepper experiment hasn’t been awful, but it hasn’t been a success either. There is a theory that the Lions always step it up on Thanksgiving Day because it’s like their Super Bowl. That’s not the case when the Titans defense comes to town.
WR
Stud – Roddy White
White was relatively quiet on Sunday after several weeks of trying to prove that he’s the best receiver in football. This week the Falcons will head to San Diego to take on a very suspect Chargers pass defense.
Sleeper – Justin Gage
Gage had 2 big weeks, but was a disappointment last week in what should have been a nice matchup. He’ll head to Detroit on Thursday, so he should have plenty of chances to find pay dirt.
Snoozer – Randy Moss
Moss is back on the radar after his 3 TD performance on Sunday, but don’t expect the Steelers to leave him in single coverage. Pittsburgh plays the pass very well and even if Cassel has time to throw, Moss won’t be willing to risk a big hit from Troy Polamalu.
RB
Stud – Adrian Peterson
It’s tough to figure out what Brad Childress is thinking when it comes to his use of AP, but he always gets his touches in the end. Minnesota takes on a Bears defense that got shredded by Ryan Grant. That’s good news for Peterson.
Sleeper – Chris Johnson
Johnson was a non-factor against a solid Jets rush defense last week, but that’s good news for this week. He received only 10 carries so he’s well rested for his date with a porous Lions defensive unit.
Snoozer – Matt Forte
This is a tough spot to list the talented rookie, especially after coming off of a huge game vs. St. Louis. The problem is that he’s facing a very solid Vikings defense and the Bears have started to go with other options on the goal line. There are better options this week.
K
Stud – Matt Bryant
Bryant will maintain his stud status until he proves me wrong. He only notched one field goal last week, but it was a long one. He also racked up a decent amount of extra points. Tampa should have plenty of scoring chances against a weak Saints defense.
Sleeper – Stephen Gostkowski
The Patriots will certainly have trouble moving the ball against the Steelers, but this feels like one of those games that they can get into FG range and not much further.
Snoozer – Jason Hanson
Hanson is usually one of the only useful Lions on a given week, but it’s hard to imagine the Lions sustaining a drive long enough to get him any chances this week.

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The Michael Vick Legacy

You ever see the show Dexter on Showtime? Well, I’ve been rather obsessed with it of late and I thought I might nominate a particular target for everyone’s favorite serial killer. Now, maybe a little back story: Dexter Morgan is an “orphaned” child who is raised by a noble Miami Police Officer. Early in Dexter’s life, Harry, Dexter’s foster father, realizes that Dexter has an uncontrollable psychological urge to kill, one that cannot be cured with things like therapy. So Harry, feeling attached to this boy, begins to find ways to channel his “son’s” urges toward good. He teaches him to be a perfect, uncatchable murderer, but the only condition is, he can only kill those who take innocent lives and manage to escape justice.

Now read this excerpt from a recent Associated Press story:

“Michael Vick put family pets in rings with pit bulls and thought it was funny watching the trained killers injure or kill the helpless dogs, a witness told federal investigators during the dogfighting investigation that brought Vick down.”
This of course is testimony from someone called “confidential witness Number 1” and his account may be subject to some scrutiny given the fact that he is operating under anonymity. However, reading that, picturing that, can you say that Michael Vick doesn’t sound like a sadistic, vicious murderer? I’m not trying to go all PETA on you I swear. I’m not operating under the precondition to “defend those who cannot defend themselves.” All I’m saying is, picturing that, and then looking at Michael Vick’s face, can you honestly say that you wouldn’t let out a big exhale of relief if Michael Vick suddenly disappeared?
Obviously no one is condoning murder, but it’s one of those human conditions where the end justifies the mysterious means. If these allegations are true, if confidential witness Number 1 wasn’t just blowing smoke up all of our asses, if Michael Vick suddenly disappeared, is there one person out there reading this (all 6 of you) that would actually have a vested interest in finding him?
Now when the whole Michael Vick thing came down, there were a lot of voices, the talking heads, which were saying that it was unjust for people to so harshly judge Michael Vick for his role in a dogfighting operation. Dogs aren’t humans after all, and killers of dogs aren’t real murderers. To counter, I present this, my psychological analysis for why dogs are so beloved in our society. The first reason is joy, whether we work for their affection or not, dogs have an innate ability to bring people joy and pleasure. The second reason is key, dependency. It’s a natural human reaction to be more emotionally invested in those things that are dependent on you. A properly bred and broken house dog is completely dependent on his owner. Harm done to your dog is harm done to you, just like a child. Right or wrong, rationally or irrationally, that is why people are so taken aback by what Michael Vick did. That is why most people would quietly support any action taken against him. That is why no one is in any hurry to get one of the greatest athletes alive on their football team any time soon.
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Did he really just say that?

Did he really just say that?

It’s not uncommon for a professional athlete or coach to give the media a sound clip that will be played for years to come.

How many times have we heard Jim Mora’s rant about the Colts making the playoffs?

How many times have we heard Allen Iverson downplay the importance of practice?

Terrell Owens, Randy Moss or Chad Johnson can usually be counted on to say something that we can talk about all week, but we have a newcomer to the group.

Donovan McNabb didn’t know that there were ties in the NFL???

"I've never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book," he said after Sunday’s game. "It's part of the rules, and we have to go with it. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately, with the rules, we settled with a tie."

Are you kidding me? He’s been in the league for 10 years and the last tie was in 2002. You could argue that players don’t pay attention to the outcome of other games, but McNabb and the Eagles actually played the Falcons that season after Atlanta had taken part in that tie.

Andy Reid tried to defend his signal caller by saying that there are rules that players don’t know about, but I’m not buying that excuse. We’re not talking about some obscure rule about laterals or if there is a 10 second runoff on a false start in the last 2 minutes of a game. Just because ties don’t happen often, doesn’t excuse McNabb on this one.

One thing is for sure…Donovan won’t forget that ties are possible because he’ll hear his sound bit well after he’s done playing in the NFL.

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Is It Really That Hard To Coach In The NFL?

By The Sports Consigliere

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what is so hard about life as an NFL coach.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t discredit that they have a hard job and it takes a lot of preparation in the week leading up to the game. However, I find myself scratching my head at situations that really don’t seem that difficult, yet still get screwed up.

It would be easy to throw someone like Herm Edwards under the bus for going for the win vs. San Diego. When Shannahan does it and succeeds, it’s a gutsy call. When Edwards fails, it was the wrong decision. I don’t fault the choice and as Herm says, “you play to win the game.”

There have been 2 scenarios over the past week that I just can’t seem to comprehend.

The first situation came on Monday night as the 49ers drove down the field for the win.

Shaun Hill was doing a remarkable job hooking up with his playmakers and got the ball all the way down to the 2-yard line. As they begin to change out their package, I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t just spike the ball. They get the goal line group in and catch them off guard by running…a spike??? What kind of clock mismanagement leads to wasting 25 seconds while switching out personnel only to spike the ball anyway?

So there they sit, a few feet from a victory with enough time to call any play. They choose a run with Frank Gore and he comes up just shy. While the play is under review, Martz and Co. had plenty of time to come up with a genius call that would lead to the game winning score with no time left on the clock.

The ball is placed down and the clock begins to tick. Hill is set for what will surely be some sort of bootleg that gives him a run/pass option. He takes the snap and runs a dive to Michael Robinson?!?!

If I’m calling plays for a team that has a mobile quarterback, a great RB, some decent wide receivers and a solid TE, I’m certainly not running a dive with my backup running back.

Is it really that hard?

The 2nd scenario happened just last night.

The New York Jets defensive backs did a great job of shutting Randy Moss down, all night long. Well, almost all night long.

Through the first 59 minutes and 52 seconds, the Jets had bumped, jammed and annoyed Moss as he tried to release from the line. They would stand him up for the first couple of yards and by that time, Moss simply didn’t feel like finishing his route. You could see it on every snap during the final New England dive.

There was no way that the Jets were going to allow Moss to run by them and get room to roam. So why would they change that strategy on the last play? What would make you think that it was suddenly a good time to give him a 7-yard cushion?

About 7 seconds after I starred at the top of my screen and wondered why he wasn’t being jammed, the game was tied.

Being that the Jets went on to win in OT, most people will forget that play. I’ll continue to wonder if it’s really that hard.

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Spaceball's Fav 5 For Week 11 In The NFL

Quarterback

Peyton Manning Vs. Houston

Manning has been very impressive in his last three starts and torched a Pittsburgh’s defense last week for 240 Yards and 3 touchdowns! Manning finally got his groove back and I’m looking for him to have a monster game against the Texans this week!
Projection: 320 Yards & 3 Touchdowns

Running Back

Frank Gore Vs. St. Louis

Gore just missed eclipsing the 100 yard mark last week and has 90 + rushing yards in his last 2 games. Shaun Hill is much better under center than J.T. O’Sullivan and defenses are forced to respect the 49ers passing game now. St. Louis has one of the worst defenses in football, so get ready for a career day from F.G.
Projection: 175 Yards & 2 Touchdowns

Wide Receiver

Steve Smith Vs. Detroit

In Madden, you could control Detroit’s defense to give them a shot at stopping Carolina’s Panthers passing attack this week. In reality,expect Might Mouse to torch Detroit’s secondary for a minimum of 125 yards on Sunday. Steve Smith has been smok’n hot since he’s returned to the playing field and he’s going to want to make people forget his stats ( 1 catch for 9 yards) in last weeks game against the Raiders!
Projection: 145 Yards & 2 Touchdowns

Wide Receiver

Marques Colston Vs. Kansas City

May Day, May Day….We have a Marques Colston signting & he’s finally arrived! Colston had a coming out party against the Falcons in week 10 by catching 7 passes for 140 receiving yards. Colston looks like he’s finally healthy, so get ready for him to put up some big numbers this week in the most pass heavy offense in the greatest show on turf.
Projection: 110 Yards & 2 Touchdowns

Kicker

Jason Elam Vs. Denver

Doesn’t everybody love to get a shot to prove to their old employer that they made a mistake for letting them go? Elam is kicking behind a resurgent Falcons offense right now and he’s going to have plenty of scoring opportunities in a game that’s going to replicate last week’s high scoring affair between the Browns & Broncos.
Projection: 3 Field Goals & 3 Extra Points

Week 10 Review In The All American Touchdown Derby

More (President-Elect) Obama For Yo Mama! is still leading the All-American Touchdown Derby, but things are starting to get a bit more interesting.

MOFYM has 137 touchdowns although the lead has been trimmed to just 2 scores.

Packers Nation is in hot pursuit with 135 touchdowns and South Side Strikers isn’t far back with 134 TD.

Rocket Launchers is holding firm with 131 passing touchdowns and Air Assasins jumps into the Top 5 with 128 TD.

Philip Rivers has some company.

After a huge Monday night showing, Kurt Warner has tied Rivers with 19 scoring strikes.

Jay Cutler blew up on Thursday and sits in 3^rd place. He’s tied with Drew Brees and each player has 18 TD.

Brett Favre practiced his handoffs all game long, but still managed one TD and that put him at 16 on the year.

Peyton Manning turned in a solid performance and sits alone in 6^th place.

Little brother Eli and Tony Romo are one touchdown back, with 14 each.

Donovan McNabb was able to find the end zone this week, but Aaron Rodgers was not and they each have 13 scores.

Matt Ryan continues his bid for Rookie of the Year and now has 12 touchdowns.

The logjam for 12^th place consists of Ben Roethlisberger, Kyle Orton, Gus Frerotte, Matt Schaub and Jake Delhomme. Each player has 10 touchdowns.

The biggest mover this week was Tyler Thigpen. He vaulted into a tie for 27^th courtesy of his 3 touchdown game vs. the Chargers.

Carson Palmer continues to slide down the board, but early word is that Matt Hasselbeck has a good chance to add to his TD total in Week 11.

Nick Anthony's Free NFL Picks

Nick Anthony’s Sunday Selections

November 9th, 2008

by admin

New Orleans Vs. Atlanta
Spread: Falcons - 1
The Play: New Orleans - 1
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

Tennessee Vs. Chicago
Spread: Titans - 3
The Play: Bars + 3

Detroit Vs. Jacksonville
Spread: Jaguars - 6.5
The Play: Lions + 6.5

Seattle Vs. Miami
The Spread: Dolphins - 9
The Play: Seahawks + 9

Green Bay Vs. Minnesota
The Spread: Vikings - 2.5
The Play: Vikings - 2.5

Buffalo Vs. New England
The Spread: Patriots - 3.5
The Play: Patriots - 3.5
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

St. Louis Vs. New York Jets
The Spread: Jets - 9
The Play: Jets - 9

Baltimore Vs. Houtson
The Spread: Texans -1
The Play: Baltimore + 1
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

Carolina Vs. Oakland
The Spread: Panthers - 9
The Play: Panthers - 9

Pittsburgh Vs. Indianapolis
The Spread: Steelers - 4
The Play: Colts + 4
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

San Diego Vs. Kansas City
The Spread: Chargers - 14.5
The Play: Chiefs + 14.5

Philadelphia Vs. New York Giants
The Spread: Eagles - 3
The Play: Put Everything you’ve got on the G-Men!!!
Nick Anthony’s Play Of The Day!

San Francisco Vs. Arizona
The Spread: Cardinals - 9.5
The Play: 49ers + 9.5

Nick Anthony Went 12 & 3 last week in the NFL; raising his overall win percentage to 57% this NFL season…Wow!!!

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Who is Spaceball?

Hi there and welcome to Spaceball Football. This year you can hear me on a variety of radio stations all over the country!

Who am I? I'm the expert with an attitude. I'm the expert with a sense of humor. But then again, nobody said experts had to be boring.

In addition to my show and guest appearances on Morning and Afternoon drive shows during the week, I was also tapped by the Chicago Sun Times to write a weekly column. At my 1st ever Fantasy Football convention, over 500 men came out to talk about their upcoming drafts. (For the record - this was as Peyton Manning was coming off his 28 interception rookie season.and I told everyone to keep him as he was going to be bigger than huge). By the time I took over ESPN Radio in Chicago, Fantasy Football was a mainstay in the city.
When it comes to Fantasy Football, that list of experts only goes one name deep. Millions play, hundreds are self-proclaimed 'experts,' but only one is a Fantasy Football legend. It's been my dream and now, it's your reality.

In much the same manner that Batman never revealed who he was in real life, I cannot either, however in my real life identity - I was the one who introduced the game to the general sports public some 20 years ago when I was running the Chicago sports radio station WSCR-AM (The Score) by hosting a Sunday morning Fantasy Football show. Fans would call as early as 5:30a and hold up to 45 minutes for the chance to ask my opinion on whom they should play that day.

Today, I show up on a regular basis on a number of stations throughout the country as well as make occasional appearances on a variety of other radio shows such as Steve Dahl (WJMK-FM / Chicago ), Mike North (WSCR-AM / Chicago), and Kevin Matthews (WLAV-FM / Grand Rapids ).

Give it a try. Tune in one day, talk some fantasy and let's have some fun.

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World Series Preview

Who would have guessed that the World Series would come down to the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies?

The Rays have turned things around from the previous decade of losing and all of the young talent is finally starting to take over.

The Phillies were led into the playoffs by the very guy that they benched early in the year. I am, of course, talking about MVP candidate Ryan Howard.

So how does a matchup of the unlikely opponents breakdown?

When you look at the hitting for each team, the first thought is that the Phillies have the edge. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell provide all the power needed and Shane Victorino Jimmy Rollins can set the table.

The Rays counter with Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and BJ Upton for power, while Carl Crawford provides the speed on the bases. Willy Aybar could be the deciding factor as he’s batting .367 this postseason.

Talent wise, the 2 teams look similar but give a slight edge to the Rays based on the lack of consistency from Ryan Howard and the week long layoff that may prevent the Phillies from getting off to a good start.

When you glance at the pitching staffs, Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge certainly jump off the page. I could argue that beyond that, the Phillies are pretty thin.

The Rays will line up Scott Kazmir in Game 1, who is the man responsible for their home field advantage courtesy of his victory in the All-Star Game. James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine will follow Kazmir. Matt Garza will be a factor in the World Series after the offseason trade from the Minnesota Twins. David Price may have found his spot as the closer for the series.

Tampa gets the edge on pitching based on Kazmir, Garza and the wild card Price.

Defense is what Tampa Bay prided itself on all year and when someone was injured, the next guy stepped in and played just as well. That being said, they looked very shaky in the ALCS. Game 5 should have been headed to extra innings as Longoria made a great backhanded stop on Kevin Youkilis, but the throw was short and bounced into the stands. The next batter delivered a hit and the series headed back to the Trop.

The Phillies field a solid defensive unit and they have committed four errors during postseason play. Evan Longoria has 3. Rollins and Utley are solid up the middle, but it remains to be seen who gets the start at 3^rd base.

Based on the sloppy play of Tampa in the ALCS, the defensive edge goes to Philadelphia.

Other factors in this series are home field advantage and the incredible story that the Rays are writing. It’s hard to imagine that Tampa Bay will not be ready to go when the first pitch is thrown. They will have their wild fans banging on the cowbells and they can’t afford to disappoint. They are a young team, but showed a lot of heart against Boston.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be crowned World Series Champions after Game 6.

Major League Baseball Playoffs Recap

Twenty-seven games ago, 8 teams kicked off baseball’s second season.

The Division playoffs promised to be hard fought and exciting, but that promise certainly wasn’t kept.

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the playoffs on the back of CC Sabathia and were ready to take on the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cole Hamels proved to be the ace of the series with a gem in Game 1. Hamels pitched 8 innings and allowed only 2 hits while striking out 9 batters. He didn’t allow a run.

Sabathia was roughed up in Game 2, possibly due to the amount of pitches he threw in the last week of the regular season. He was pulled in the 4^th inning after surrendering 6 hits, 5 runs and 4 walks.

The Phillies went on the win the series, 4-1.

In the other National League series, the Chicago Cubs were set to play host to Manny and the Dodgers in what was supposed to be the least exciting of the 4 series.

It certainly wasn’t exciting, if you’re a Cubs fan.

Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden were lit up during the Dodgers sweep. Chicago was embarrassed at home and were outscored 20-6 for the series.

On the American League side, the Tampa Bay Rays cinderella story wasn’t finished just yet as they welcomed the Chicago White Sox to Florida.

Ozzie was able to guide his boys into the postseason in grand fashion and the White Sox were poised to used their playoff experience to end the Rays season.

Someone forgot to tell the Rays about that plan. James Shields, Scott Kazmir and Andy Sonnanstine all picked up victories for Tampa Bay, while BJ Upton and Evan Longoria proved the offense as Tampa went on to finish off Chicago in 4 games.

The Los Angeles Angels hadn’t had anything to play for in close to a month, so they were happy to get started when the Boston Red Sox came to town.

Jon Lester proved to be too much for the Angels as he hurled 14 innings of shutout ball and led the Sox to 2 victories. This was probably the most exciting series of the first round, as Games 2, 3 and 4 were hard fought contests.

So the Championship round was set. The Philadelphia Phillies would face the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays would host their hated rivals from Boston.

In the Phillies-Dodgers series, it came down to Cole Hamels vs. Chad Billingsley. Hamels won the series MVP by notching 2 wins, going 14 innings and allowing just 3 runs. Billingsley on the other hand failed to escape the 3^rd inning in Games 1 and 5. He allowed 11 runs and the series was never in doubt. The Phillies are headed to the World Series courtesy of a 4-1 series win.

The American League Championship couldn’t have been much different.

In what was sure to be a series of emotional swings, Boston went into St. Petersburg and took Game 1 by shutting out the red hot Rays. Tampa battled back in Game 2 and won the game in extra innings. Boston still had the advantage, having split on the road, and now they were headed back to the friendly confines of Fenway Park.

The Rays showed the baseball world that they weren’t intimidated as they took Games 3 and 4 by a combined score of 22-5. They were well on their way to wrapping up the series when they led 7-0 after 6 innings in Game 5, but the Sox mounted one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history when they scored 8 runs over the next 3 innings to win 8-7.

The series swung back to Florida and Boston proceeded to win Game 6 and force the pivotal Game 7.

Tampa Bay wasn’t about to let the dream die on their home turf and rookie phenom David Price stole the show and earned the save by striking out 3 of 4 batters to close out the game.

So here we are…The Philadelphia Phillies will open up the World Series in Florida as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays.

Final Week Review In Major League Baseball

The Los Angeles Angels were the first to clinch a playoff spot and the first to clinch their division. They rounded out their regular season accomplishments by securing the best record in baseball, going 100-62 this season.

The Angels will play host to the American League Wild Card winners, the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were able to capture their playoff berth with ease and hope to play the spoiler role over an Angels team that many people predict will win the World Series.

The first team to clinch their post-season berth in the National League was the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field will be the site of the first two Cubs games as they welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to town. The Dodgers were the 2^nd team in the National League to claim their spot in the second season.

The rest of the National League playoff picture didn’t settle into place without heartbreak and drama.

With the season drawing to a close, we knew that either the New York Mets or the Philadelphia Phillies would clinch the division and the loser was left to battle the slumping Milwaukee Brewers for the Wild Card berth.

Ryan Howard kept the Phillies winning when it mattered and they clinched the division with a game to spare.

That left the Mets and Brewers tied for the last spot with just one day left in the season. Mets fans were left with the reality that lightning can strike twice and the Mets had collapsed for the 2^nd time in two years and would miss the playoffs after a 4-2 loss following a Brewers win.

These 2 teams will now face off as Ryan Braun and CC Sabathia head to Philadelphia to take on Chase Utley and Cole Hamels.

The American League didn’t settle on a playoff lineup without some drama either.

The Twins were able to sweep the White Sox and claim a slight edge in the division race late in the week. The Sox and Twins both dropped 2 of 3 games in the last series of the year, which made it necessary for Detroit to head to U.S. Cellular Field on Monday for a makeup game.

Chicago won the game 8-2 and forced a one game playoff to decide the winner of the American League Central.

In what could be the worse rule in professional sports, the Twins were forced to play the game in Chicago based on a coin flip, despite holding a 10-8 season series edge.

John Danks and Nick Blackburn battled it out in an unlikely pitcher’s duel. The only mistake of the game came when Nick Blackburn left a pitch up to Jim Thome and he hit a 461-foot homerun for the game’s only run.

The White Sox win sends them to Tampa Bay to take on the American League East Champion Rays.

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Major League Baseball Weekly Review

The playoff landscape is starting to take shape.

The Los Angeles Angels have the advantage of setting up their rotation and resting key players before the start of the 2^nd season.

The Chicago Cubs now share a similar situation after clinching the division.

The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched a playoff spot, but have not wrapped up the division title. They lead Boston by 1.5 games.

The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are in the driver’s seat for their respective playoff berths. It would take a huge collapse for either not to make it in. If one of them were to fail to reach the postseason, it would be the White Sox who could see their 2.5 game lead disappear if they are swept at Minnesota this week.

The Philadelphia Phillies hold a 1.5 game edge over the New York Mets. The Phillies are 9-1 over their last 10 games while the Mets are just 4-6. Sound familiar?

If the Mets can’t catch the Phillies, they are likely to capture the wild card spot. They lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 1.5 games and the Brewers can’t seem to string anything together this month. They are 5-15 in September.

If Tampa Bay holds off the Red Sox, then Boston will take the American League wild card.

September is always a surprise as you see veterans get hot or maybe rookies get a call up and impress.

Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, Shin-Soo Choo, Jorge Cantu and David Ortiz all have at least 3 homeruns and 10 RBI this week. Only Ortiz carries a batting average under .368, but the stat of the week is Ryan Garko’s .833 batting average!

Dan Haren, Kyle Davies, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Scott Lewis, Tony Pena, Brad Ziegler and Daisuke Matsuzaka each picked up 2 wins this week. Joakim Soria and Brad Lidge closed out four games apiece for their clubs.

Is There Another Jinx That's Worse Than The Madden Curse?

The Madden Curse has a long history of claiming seasons and even a career.

There are several different opinions on how many people were actually affected by the curse.

Here is the evidence…

Garrison Heart appeared on the 1999 cover and went on to enjoy a career season, but then suffered a broken ankle in the playoffs and the Niners lost the game.

Barry Sanders graced the 2000 cover along with John Madden. Sanders retired before the season even started.

Eddie George may be an exception as he followed his 2001 appearance with a very solid year. It was a year after that in which he turned in career lows across the board and was never the same again.

Daunte Culpepper was coming off a season of nearly 4500 total yards and 40 TD. He graced the 2002 cover and threw for 14 TD and 13 INT before a back injury ended his season.

Marshall Faulk was coming off a Super Bowl appearance and was the reigning Offensive Player of the Year when he agreed to be on the cover of Madden 2003. He suffered an ankle sprain that cost him 6 games and he failed to reach 1000 yards rushing for the first time in 7 years. He never returned to his previous level of play.

Michael Vick was a rising star when he appeared on the 2004 cover. He didn’t even make it out of the preseason as he suffered a fractured fibula on a nasty tackle from behind. Vick only appeared in 5 games that season.

Ray Lewis is another questionable cursed player. He was the first defensive player to make the cover when he was on Madden 2005. He led the Ravens to a division title the prior season and had a career high 6 interceptions. After becoming a cover boy, he failed to record an INT and failed to make the playoffs. He did have a solid season though.

Madden 2006 saw Donovan McNabb on the cover. That season he suffered a sports hernia and attempted to tough it out, but Roy Williams put on hit on McNabb that worsened the injury and caused him to have season ending surgery. He played in just 9 games that year and hasn’t finished a full season since.

The 2007 curse shifted its focus to Shaun Alexander. Alexander rushed for 1880 yards and 27 TD the previous season. After appearing on the cover, he suffered a fracture in his foot and missed 6 games. He failed to reach 1000 yards and scored just 7 TD. He followed that up with a 700 and 4 campaign and is now out of football.

Madden 2008’s cover boy was Vince Young. Young appeared to be ready to step up and become a dual threat quarterback that gave opposing defenses fits. Instead he threw for just 9 TD and 17 INT and missed one game.

The curse finally seemed like it was going to skip a year when the 2009 cover featured Brett Favre, who was safely hidden away in Mississippi enjoying retirement. With his return to the New York Jets, only time will tell if the curse comes true.

What we do know for sure is that there may be another curse to watch out for as it’s already claimed its 2008 poster boy.

Tom Brady was the inspiration behind the logo for The All American Touchdown Derby at passitdeep.com after his record-breaking season last year. It seemed like a no brainer that you’d have to honor the record holder for most touchdowns thrown in one season.

And so the story begins…

The All American Touchdown Derby curse has a long history of claiming seasons.

In 2008, a Tom Brady replica graced the front page of passitdeep.com after throwing for a record 50 TD passes in 2007. He stepped onto the field to begin his follow-up campaign and didn’t make it out of the first quarter before suffering a torn ACL and MCL that claimed his season before he could register a single touchdown.

Now this could certainly just be a coincidence, but for the sake of my fantasy football keeper league, I’d prefer if the guys at passitdeep.com didn’t look at Jay Cutler when designing the 2009 version of the game.